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A gardener has been cleared of making bomb threats against a school after a receptionist misunderstood his Welsh accent.
The confusion sparked a six-hour evacuation of Badbury Park Primary in Swindon in February 25.
James Morgan, 36, called to ask if any of the primary children would be ‘back home or in school’ because he was litter picking nearby.
But owing to his thick welsh accent and quick speech pattern, the receptionist thought he said ‘bomb in school’.
In panic she called 999 and police evacuated Badbury Park Primary, setting up a 200-metre cordon and bringing in specialist officers and sniffer dogs to search the school.
Staff and nearby residents were forced out of their homes and workplaces for six hours until the all-clear was given, the Telegraph reported.
Mr Morgan was accused of intentionally communicating false information and the court heard that he initially rang to ask if he had time to litter-pick in a nearby park before children left school, as he had done the previous week.
Swindon Crown Court heard that Mr Morgan rang and asked: ‘I want to do some litter-picking, can you tell me if the kids are on half term? Are the kids back home or in school?’
James Morgan, 36, called Badbury Park Primary in Swindon (pictured) to ask if any of the primary children would be ‘back home or in school’ because he was litter picking nearby
Swindon Crown Court (pictured) heard that the receptionist misunderstood his welsh accent and believed he was making a bomb threat against the school
Prosecutor Nicholas Mather said the receptionist heard Mr Morgan say ‘bomb in the school’ before hanging up.
The court also heard that she believed the caller was speaking with an Indian or Pakistani accent and couldn’t understand anything he was saying.
The gardener, who works for Tony Benger Landscaping, said he decided to end the brief phone call after it became apparent that the school receptionist was unable to understand him.
A jury took two hours to find Mr Morgan, of Marlborough, Wiltshire, not guilty of intentionally communicating false information.
